"That is dangerous territory," she said. Racial and gender inequalities persist and must be dealt with. The traditional white male establishment in America is in no danger "of losing its power," she argued.

Still, analysts say Election 2012 signaled a sea change.

There was an era in U.S. political life "that began with Ronald Reagan, where there was a conservative dominance powered by conservative voters and Southern whites," said David Bositis, senior political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. "That era is over."